We noted earlier today — and a media-buying source subsequently confirmed — that Rick Perry appeared to have bought national airtime on Fox News to air positive spots for his campaign. The New York Times's Jim Rutenberg has the details this afternoon on what turns out to be a very sizable buy:

A rival campaign monitoring advertising sales said Mr. Perry’s campaign had purchased $975,000 worth of advertising time on the channel, a huge amount of money for advertising on national cable television, ensuring that his ads are seen up to seven times a day.

Assuming that much of his advertising will run on the top-rated Fox programs of Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity – but plenty during the day, too — the move is a Hail Mary pass meant to halt any slide from his embarrassing memory lapse at the debate Wednesday and shore up his poll numbers and fundraising base.

The fundraising side is key, as Rutenberg notes: If Perry's numbers take another hit after the debate this week, he could go back into that late-September downward spiral where weak polling triggers weak fundraising, which then makes it impossible for Perry to spend his way back into competition.